Commas Commas Commas
What is wrong with the following sentence?
The seniors had to win Spirit Week so they practiced and practiced and practiced.
The seniors had to win Spirit Week, so they practiced and practiced and practiced.
(Rule: Commas separate complete sentences that are joined by a conjunction)
What is wrong with this sentence?
Because I went to the grocery store.
It's a fragment!
That sentence has an incomplete thought.
Is the following punctuation correct? If not, correct the mistake.
The class groaned, but Ms. Hinrichs said that "grammar is fun!"
This is correct!
Is this punctuation correct? If not, correct the mistake.
I went to the store because I needed cheese for my charcuterie board.
It is correct! You don't need a comma before "because" since it is a dependent clause at the end of a sentence.
What should you cite in the parenthesis after a quote/summary/statistic?
The author's last name
What is wrong with the following sentence?
There are other schools that do not require auditions, but require that you get high grades.
There should not be a comma before "but," as it does not separate two complete sentences.
Which of the following sentences is a fragment? Be able to tell specifically what is missing.
1) Workplace communication is an essential skill across all forms of communication. 2) Emails, memos, text messaging, and phone calls. 3) Having well-practiced communications is essential.
2) You're missing a verb! And therefore a complete thought.
Is the following punctuation correct? If not, correct the mistake.
The class groaned when they realized they had to work on grammar, to which Ms. Hinrichs responded "It'll be fun!"
There should be a comma after "responded"
Is the following punctuation correct? If not, where is the mistake?
Good communication skills require many aspects, one important aspect is the ability to be clear and concise.
That comma is a comma splice! It should be turned into a semicolon or period.
What are the 2 things you must include with a Power Flag?
1) Author name
2) Article/book/study title
Is the following punctuation correct? If not, where is the mistake?
Small things, such as a smile, can go a long way and better your reputation within the workplace.
Yes! The appositive (or interruptor) commas were used correctly.
Even though I need to finish my homework, I want to go to this party, but my parents said I can't go unless I complete at least my math homework, so I'm staying until then.
This is a run-on sentence. Too many conjunctions!
Is the following punctuation correct? If not, correct the mistake.
In "Have Smartphones Destroyed a Generation?" Jean Twenge has this to say about social media habits; "85% of teenagers...
Never use a semicolon when introducing a quote! Ever! Use a colon instead.
Is the following punctuation correct? If not, where is the mistake?
The members of the Wall of Fame which houses the vocabulary champions of the year will receive a special prize at the end of the school year.
There should be commas around "which houses the vocabulary champions of the year"
99% of the time, you should put a comma before "which" if it's in the middle of a sentence.
What type of punctuation do you use when referring to the title of an article in your writing?
Quotation marks!
Ex: In the article "Have Smartphones Destroyed a Generation?", Jean Twenge writes...
Is this punctuation correct? If not, correct the mistake.
The seniors donning their blue and white outfits paraded through the hallway while blaring their music and chanting encouragements for their class to dominate spirit week.
Commas around "donning their blue an white outfits" since it is an interruptor (appositive)
Which of the following sentences is a fragment? Be able to tell specifically what is missing.
1) It is essential to exercise. 2) Such as running, biking, or swimming. 3) These can all bring about good health.
2) This is an incomplete thought!
Is the following punctuation correct? If not, correct the mistake.
Ben Sasse says in "Why We Hate Each Other, and How to Heal," "We...
This is a correct use of "the tag" integration! I know, it looks weird.
Is this punctuation correct? If not, correct the mistake.
Unfortunately, the Spirit Week, that students love so much, is coming to an end.
No commas around "that students love so much"
Whenever you use the word "that" before a phrase, it makes it an essential clause. Meaning you shouldn't put commas around it!
"Phew! I finally have 5 pieces of evidence for my essay. Looks like I'm set! I'm sure it doesn't matter that I found all of those quotes from 2 articles... right?"
What's wrong with this statement? ^^^^
You need 5 different SOURCES throughout your essay, which means you need 5 different pieces of evidence from 5 different articles or studies.
Is this punctuation correct? If not, correct the mistake.
Ms. Hinrichs loves grammar, and although she gets quite excited over the use of a solid em-dash, she recognizes that grammar can be a dull endeavor for most; consequently she tries to make grammar as exciting as possible.
No! We are missing a comma after our conjunctive adverb (often a word like "however" or "therefore")
Ms. Hinrichs loves grammar, and although she gets quite excited over the use of a solid em-dash, she recognizes that grammar can be a dull endeavor for most; consequently, she tries to make grammar as exciting as possible.
Is this punctuation correct? If not, correct the mistake.
The spirit week announcers were decked out in all sorts of crazy costumes excited at the prospect of getting the crowd hyped up for another game of Ultimate Chicken.
There should be a comma before "excited" since it begins a new phrase that starts with a verb.
That's what we call a participial phrase.
Is the following punctuation correct? If not, correct the mistake.
When the Chiefs won the AFC championship, Travis Kelce responded with the following statement, "You have to fight. For your right. To partayyyyy!"
There should be a colon before the quote since it is a full sentence.
What is wrong with this sentence? (Hint: There are 2 things)
Hattie is mad at me, because I went to the movies without her she is no longer speaking to me.
The comma before "because" is a comma splice! It should be a semicolon because it is dividing two complete sentences.
There should also be a comma after "her" because it is at the end of a dependent clause.
Name 3 out of the 5 weird grammar rules you need to follow when you use a BLOCK QUOTE.
1) Fully indent the entire quote
2) Use a colon to introduce
3) Period goes outside the parenthetical citation
4) No quotation marks
5) Must be 4 lines or more